Smith v. Dearborn County

244 F.R.D. 512, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 63947, 2007 WL 2473817
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Indiana
DecidedAugust 28, 2007
DocketNo. 4:06-cv-75-WGH-SEB
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 244 F.R.D. 512 (Smith v. Dearborn County) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Indiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Smith v. Dearborn County, 244 F.R.D. 512, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 63947, 2007 WL 2473817 (S.D. Ind. 2007).

Opinion

ORDER ON PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR CLASS CERTIFICATION

HUSSMANN, United States Magistrate Judge.

This matter comes before this United States Magistrate Judge on plaintiffs Motion for Class Certification.1 (Docket Nos. 50, 54). Defendant Dearborn County filed a Response on June 27, 2007. (Docket No. 56). Plaintiff filed a Reply on July 11, 2007. (Docket No. 58).

Discussion

Plaintiff Deborah Smith (“Smith”) brought this Motion for Class Certification alleging that she and numerous other individuals were subjected to unconstitutional strip searches. Having examined Smith’s motion as well as the law, the court concludes that Smith’s motion must be GRANTED.

A. Constitutionality of Strip Searches

The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution, made applicable to the states by way of the Fourteenth Amendment, provides that “[t]he right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated.... ” U.S. Const, amend. IV. Because the Fourth Amendment only prohibits “unreasonable” searches, this court must determine under what circumstances a strip search conducted by Dearborn County is unreasonable. As a general rule, a search is unconstitutional unless it is supported by a warrant issued upon probable cause. New York v. Belton, 453 U.S. 454, 457, 101 S.Ct. 2860, 2862, 69 L.Ed.2d 768 (1981). However, “the exigen[514]*514cies of the situation may sometimes make exemption from the warrant requirement imperative.” Id. (quoting McDonald v. U.S., 335 U.S. 451, 456, 69 S.Ct. 191, 193, 93 L.Ed. 153 (1948)).

One such exception has been applied to strip searches; the Supreme Court has instructed us that, in order to determine if a particular search is reasonable, we must balance the needs “for the particular search against the invasion of personal rights that the search entails. Courts must consider the scope of the particular intrusion, the manner in which it is conducted, the justification for initiating it, and the place in which it is conducted.” Bell v. Wolfish, 441 U.S. 520, 559, 99 S.Ct. 1861, 1884, 60 L.Ed.2d 447 (1979). Balancing these interests, the Seventh Circuit has acknowledged that “strip searches involving the visual inspection of the anal and genital areas [are] demeaning, dehumanizing, undignified, humiliating, terrifying, unpleasant, embarrassing, repulsive, signifying degradation and submission.” Mary Beth G. v. City of Chicago, 723 F.2d 1263, 1272 (7th Cir.1983). While such searches do, in fact, constitute perhaps the greatest intrusion any search could pose, “a detention facility is a unique place fraught with serious security dangers, and officials have a legitimate and substantial need to prevent arrestees from bringing weapons or contraband into such a facility.” Kraushaar v. Flanigan, 45 F.3d 1040, 1045 (7th Cir.1995) (internal quotations and citations omitted). In light of these concerns, the strip search of a pretrial detainee may not be conducted unless there is reasonable suspicion that a weapon or contraband is being concealed. Id.; Mary Beth G., 723 F.2d at 1273. For suspicion to be “reasonable,” there must be specific individualized suspicion attributable to each individual defendant. Thompson v. County of Cook, 428 F.Supp.2d 807, 814 (N.D.Ill.2006); Calvin v. Sheriff of Will County, 405 F.Supp.2d 933, 944 (N.D.Ill. 2005) (explaining that “individualized justifications are the antithesis of [a] blanket [strip search] policy____”). “Whether a suspicion is reasonable depends upon such factors as the nature of the offense, the arrestee’s appearance and conduct, and the prior arrest record.” Kraushaar, 45 F.3d at 1045 (internal quotations and citations omitted).

B. Background

Smith was charged with misuse of a credit card and theft in Hamilton County, Ohio. (Affidavit of Deborah Smith “Smith Aff.” U 3; see also Finding After Court Trial). At a court appearance in Hamilton County on January 18, 2005, Smith was told that she was subject to a warrant issued in Dearborn County, Indiana, for felony fraud charges stemming from the alleged misuse of the same credit card. (Smith Aff. 114). Smith was held in the Hamilton County Justice Center (“HCJC”) in Cincinnati, Ohio, on the Indiana warrant. (Id. 115). When booked into the HCJC, she was subjected to a pat down search. Smith’s pat down search revealed neither weapons nor contraband. (Id. K 6). She was in the HCJC from January 18, 2005, to January 21, 2005. (Id. 117).

On January 21, 2005, Smith was transferred from the HCJC to the Dearborn County Jail (“DCJ”) by Dearborn County Deputy Sheriffs. She was subjected to a pat down search, was transported directly from one facility to another in restraints, and at no time was she out of sight of corrections officers, either in Hamilton County or Dearborn County. (Id. 118). Upon arrival at the DCJ, Smith was immediately booked in; as part of the booking procedure, she was subjected to a strip search, including a visual body cavity search. (Id. 11119-10).2 Smith was required to take off all of her clothes in the presence of a female Deputy Sheriff who made her lift her breasts, spread her legs, bend over and cough. The Deputy Sheriff visually inspected Smith’s anal and genital areas. Because she was menstruating at the time of the search, the Deputy Sheriff made Smith remove her sanitary napkin and place it in a plastic bag. (Id. H11). No weapons or [515]*515drugs were found during the search. (Id. 1112).

Smith’s strip search was conducted pursuant to Dearborn County policy developed for conducting strip searches. Dearborn County’s policy states that individuals charged with non-violent misdemeanors or minor traffic offenses can not be strip searched unless the officer can articulate an individualized reasonable suspicion for the search. (Deposition of David Hall (“Hall Dep.”) at 24-25, Ex. 3). Examples of an individualized reasonable suspicion are: (1) the individual was uncooperative or disorderly; (2) the individual had a past record of concealing contraband or violent and/or aggressive behavior; (3) the individual’s current charge suggested concealment of contraband or violent and/or aggressive behavior; (4) the individual’s current behavior was inappropriate; (5) the individual has a history of inappropriate institutional behavior. (Id. at 24-25, Ex. 3). Officers must exercise discretion to effectuate the policy. (Id. at 29). Officers are trained on how to exercise the discretion needed to implement the strip search policy for nonviolent misdemeanants and traffic offenders. (Id. at 25-26). In contrast to the policy for misdemeanor and traffic offenses, Dearborn County’s policy was to strip search during intake every individual charged with a felony.3 (Id. at 16, 36, Ex. 2).

To help officers implement the strip search policy, the DCJ utilized a Strip Search Policy and Documentation Form.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
244 F.R.D. 512, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 63947, 2007 WL 2473817, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/smith-v-dearborn-county-insd-2007.